Vendor Spotlight: Petal Pusher Moves Downtown

WebRep

currentVote

noRating

noWeight

I cannot say enough for the creativity and talent that Nichole and her staff at Petal Pusher bring to the area with their unique arrangements, bouquets, and talent for building on the ideas of others.  Being a downtowner myself, I was more than thrilled to hear that Petal Pusher would be moving to the Broadway district!  Nichole, Joplin (the cute shop kitty pictured above) and staff are settled in with full decor, a new walk-in cooler, intimate consultation area, and extensive retail that will make you want to pamper yourself and others. (Thinking about mother’s day? How about homemade salsa, aromatherapy bath salts, or home accents?  Oh yeah, and flowers!)

Nichole was the florist we worked with for our own wedding and she made it a wonderful experience with her knowledge and attention to detail.  We recommend Petal Pusher to anyone, and we are looking forward to the weddings we share this summer!  Stop in at their new space to shop around, or just give Joplin a little love - he will be waiting in the window. ;)

Waiting for Baby Hazel: Danielle’s Maternity Session

Outdoor maternity sessions have such a relaxed, natural quality to them. They are the perfect way to document the special time waiting for baby. We traveled out to Merrill, Wisconsin for Danielle’s maternity session where I got the opportunity to help her select outfits and accessories as we prepared for the afternoon session.  It was a gorgeous spring day (even with 18 inches of snow to contend with) and we had beautiful, bright light for our downtown locations.

Baby Hazel is expected memorial day weekend, which is an incredible blessing with both Danielle and Reggie being teachers.  They will have a whole wonderful summer to spend just the three of them creating their own little family, and starting summer traditions to build on in the years to come.  Congratulations to you both; I can’t wait to meet baby Hazel!

{ Welcome New Baby Stella! }

I love working with newborns - tiny little sweet things all bundled up. Evelyn was the first newborn girl we ever photographed, and now, a little over three years later, we got to meet her baby sister, Stella. Stella did an amazing job for her first photos! Fifteen days old, and a little over six pounds, she slept through the entire session, snuggling into posers, baskets and wraps, happy to be wherever we put her. Evy was a perfect big sister - interested in everything that was happening, and helping in any way she could. We were excited to try out a few new props such as our Flokati faux furs, dainty headbands, and new cheesecloth wraps. We have so many beautiful images from this session, narrowing it down to a handful for blogging was a difficult task, so be sure to stay tuned for a future gallery! Welcome, Baby Stella!

Personal Post: Danielle’s Baby Shower

Last weekend, my family and I threw my cousin Danielle a baby shower for what will be the first great-grandchild in the family. We didn’t know the baby’s gender, so we decided on a soft pastel, handmade theme (with plenty of inspiration from Pinterest of course!).  Weeks ahead Danielle’s dad brought over fresh fish for a little family dinner, and as we finished eating, we all gathered around for baby shower crafting.  Everyone got into it: grandpa, and fathers, and husbands all making pom-pons and tag banners - their hardworking precision applied to something so sweet and feminine.

We wanted the decorations to be a surprise for Danielle, but little did we know she had a surprise for us.  For months she had been so sneaky, keeping the baby’s gender an absolute secret - it was all we could do to keep from gossiping wildly about what we thought it would be.  As we set up for the shower, Danielle pulled out a beautiful cake made by the same bakery who did her wedding three years ago. The cake was to be a gender reveal!  After patiently waiting through games, gifts and food, I had the honor of cutting the cake and announcing to all the guests that there would be a baby Hazel entering our family in May.  Many congratulations to Danielle and Reggie!  We are looking forward to your maternity photos this weekend and baby Hazel’s arrival in a few months! :)

Spring Sweetpeas Promotional Photoshoot

Sweetpeas Clothier in De Pere is such a fun little shop! It is full of cute outfits for tiny boys and girls, goodies for mommies and mommies-to-be, and beautiful jewelry and accessories. There is always something new at Sweetpeas, which is why we stop in each season and select a few favorites to share on our page.  All outfits shown in these images are made by Tea which has a wide collection of comfortable daily-wears for little ones.  Stop in and check out all they have to offer!

Jenstar’s New Studio and Branding Session!

Working with people who are passionate about what they do is the absolute best.  Jen is the owner of Jenstar Yoga and Dance and just opened a new studio in De Pere. She is incredibly talented, inspiring, and (need I say it) photogenic. ;) Many of you will know her from her Yoga on the Deck classes she teaches on the Citydeck in summer. This month she has opened a beauitful new studio in historic De Pere and is celebrating a milestone both professionally and personally.

The classes Jen teaches are not just about strengthening your body, but about gaining perspective on who you are and where you’re going.  They are about learning to accept yourself just as you are, and celebrating your little accomplishments along the way.  We had such a wonderful afternoon at Jen’s studio creating new images for her website and studio space!  If you are looking to learn more about Jenstar’s classes, you can find her online at www.jenstaryoga.com .

$65 Waiting for Spring { Mini Sessions } March 2, 2014

I hope everyone is keeping warm and staying safe on this snowy day!  I wanted to let our blog and Facebook followers know about our $65 Waiting for Spring { Mini Sessions } that are coming up in March. This chilly winter feels like a long one, and we could all use a little something to look forward to until the snow melts.  Our Waiting for Spring { Mini Sessions } are perfect for that; they are budget friendly, in studio, and a no-fuss way to get updated photos.  These sessions are great for families, updated yearly photos, a fun session with your little one, or even headshots.

Each session is 15 minutes and includes, one outfit, one studio backdrop, an in person ordering session, one 8x10 and a $25 print credit - all included in your $65 session fee!  You can even add additional people to your session for $15/person.

These sessions are One Day Only, and are limited.
Sunday, March 2, 2014: 11:00 - 6:00 (booking on the half hour).  Please email us if you have any questions! pomposart@yahoo.com

Personal Post: Our Second Anniversary Trip

So this post is a long time coming, but I wanted to make sure I had all our clients’ sessions sent out before I started editing on our personal work.

This October Ben and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary with a train trip to Albuquerque for their International Hot Air Balloon Festival.  I’ve always had a fascination with trains so as we were planning where to travel for the year, the first decision we made was that it had to be via train.  From when I drove Route 66 a few years back, I remembered that the hot air balloon festival fell over our anniversary week, and that got me thinking... perhaps the southwest would be a good destination.

We both loved the train ride; we stayed in a tiny convertible sleeper car called a “roomette” which reminded me so much of dreamy old movies like White Christmas and Some Like it Hot.  It had two chairs that faced in with a table that folded down between them.  At night the two chairs slid down to create a bed, and another bunk dropped from the ceiling.  If you know me well, you know I found everything about the quaintness and efficiency appealing.  The trip was a little over 24 hours on the Southwest Chief Line with a few stops along the way.  We had reservations for each meal in the dining car, which included french toast, mahi mahi, and buffalo burgers, and we spent our free time journaling, playing cards in the observation deck, and of course, taking an absurd amount of pictures. ;)

We did lots of little things in Albuquerque, but there were two main highlights: one was the hot air balloon festival.  The morning of our first full day there, we woke up around 3:45 am to make it to the balloon festival grounds to see the Dawn Patrol, which are the first few balloons that rise up during twilight and test the wind and temperature conditions (see above photo in the dark with lit balloons).  As the morning turned light, more and more balloons were launched until there were hundreds of all shapes filling the sky.  It really was an amazing sight.

The other big highlight came days later on the morning of our anniversary when we took our very own hot air balloon ride.  We were both a little nervous knowing how high the balloons went, and that the pilot only had control over moving up and down (not north/south etc, nor control over speed).  Part of me expected the ride to feel like capturing wind and being pulled, like how it feels to be on a sailboat or to parasail.  Really the sensation was motionlessness.  It was incredibly peaceful and the views over the Rio Grande were breathtaking.

{ Nikki + Tom = ENGAGED! }

I love our brave couples - brides who are not afraid of their dress touching the ground, grooms who think nothing of walking out into a field on a rainy day, and couples like Nikki and Tom who prepare to meet with freezing temps for some wintery engagement photos! A few days before Nikki and Tom’s engagement session, we were in contact about the weather: high of 7, snow. Usually we don’t keep our sessions on for that date if the temperature is below 20, but with this winter being so chilly at all times, any number without a negative sign in front of it didn’t seem so bad. Still, I would be in boots and a coat, with thirty shirts underneath; Nikki and Tom would be in their well-planned engagement outfits. She said it would be no problem and they weren’t worried. Sure enough, through wind and snow and cold, Nikki and Tom were laughing and smiling as though our high of 7 was a balmy Wisconsin 30.  Their courage paid off as we got the opportunity to create the perfect winter engagement photos including hot cocoa, a vintage sled and a cozy wool blanket.  We are looking forward to Nikki and Tom’s wedding coming up this fall; Congratulations you two!

Personal Post: Pieper’s "Adoptiversary"

Yesterday was one year since we picked up the tiny six pound puppy Pieper at the PetSmart branch of the Humane Society here in Green Bay.  We had stopped there the day before to look at a puppy my brother was interested in, but couldn’t resist the tiny little black and white mix who looked so melancholy wandering around quietly in her kennel.  Ben had never wanted a dog - he hadn’t grown up with pets and saw a dog only as an inevitability (since he decided to marry me) but something he could hold off on until he was ganged up on by his wife and future children.  When he held little Pieper in his arms and she wriggled her way right in, he had this change of expression, and I knew we were getting a puppy.

When we picked Pieper up, she was named Brianna and we were told she was a rat terrier/husky mix and would be a medium size dog... we were in for a surprise.  As the weeks wore on, she got longer, and longer, and longer, but barely any taller.  We had her in puppy classes where she started as the biggest dog in class (being a few weeks old than the other puppies) and by the end of those six weeks, she was by far the smallest.  Now, fully grown, she is just over 16 pounds.  I never thought of myself as a small dog person, but I don’t think Pieper knows her size; she is one tough little dog.

Yesterday Pieper and I celebrated one year together with a trip back to PetSmart for some goodies and a visit with her teacher, then headed over to the Howard dog park for a hike on the trails and some play time with other doggies.  Happy Adoptiversary, Pieper; we’re glad to have you as part of our family!

Camilla Turns Two!

Camilla is so fun to have in the studio simply because she is the best dressed little girl we’ve seen.  She always comes in with bright, colorful new outfits and accessories carefully selected by mom.  (Check out the satin snow-white-colored dress!)

With Camilla’s Birthday so close to Christmas, we spent a little time capturing some holiday shots of the two of them together.  We were very excited to use our new linen backdrop and tiny tree garlands; Camilla was very excited about our glitter-covered tree with the shiny star topper.  She’s a girl who knows what she likes. ;)  Happy Second Birthday, Camilla!